1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a humidifier with no reservoir. More specifically, it relates to a faucet-based humidifier that connects directly to a faucet, thereby eliminating the need for a removable water storage container or reservoir.
2. Description of Related Art
There are currently a variety of humidifiers being utilized and proposed. The beneficial effects of these humidifiers are numerous and include: protection of the respiratory system of the user, reducing dryness and irritation in the user's nose and throat, reduction in static electricity, and protection of wood furniture, paneling and fabrics. An important factor in the design of these systems is the need for a water container to provide the source of moisture to be added to the air.
In the related art, various types of humidifiers have been proposed.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,663 to Dix. et al., discloses a floor mounted humidifier having a wheel mounted water reservoir tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,390 to Marino discloses a portable humidifier having an improved top filled water tank having a fill hole sealed by a snap plug assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,190 to Stanek, et al., discloses a combined filling trough trough/dispensing cap primarily constructed for use with a removable bottle or water reservoir tank to facilitate filling and dispensing of the liquid contents of the container or tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,588 to Tomasiak, et al., discloses a humidifier with exposed spaced water bottles which are constructed to facilitate filling and carrying of the humidifier.
While these humidifier systems accomplish their intended purpose of adding moisture to air, they suffer from a number of drawbacks. For example, they typically require one or more water storage containers. Since the water containers provide the humidifier with the required moisture to be added to the air, they become empty after a period of use, and must be refilled by the user. This situation can be awkward and unnecessarily burdensome. In particular, conventional humidifiers, being prohibited from extended operation without user intervention, are not capable of autonomous, stand-alone operation.
In order to overcome these problems, what is needed is a humidifier which does not require human intervention for extended operations, and in particular does not require user intervention to refill water storage container(s), thus addressing and solving problems associated with conventional systems.